Automatic coin collector



Nov. 5, 1963 c. L. BARNHART 3,109,528

AUTOMATIC COIN COLLECTOR Filed Feb. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CA RL TON L. BARNHA RT FIG IN VE N TOR A TTORNE Y Nov. 5, 1963 c. 1.. BARNHART 3,109,523

AUTOMATIC COIN COLLECTOR Filed Feb. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I" MW ll FIG. 5.

66 67 j so} 64 65 1/ )6 30 2s CARLTON LEARNHART T\29 2% IN VE N TOR A T TORNE Y United States Patent 3,109,528 AUTGMATIG (IOIN CGLLEQHER Carlton L. Earnhart, 2923 W. Lancaster, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed Feh. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 174,220 4' Claims. (Cl. 194-9) This invention relates to coin collectors for use in coin operate-d mechanisms and is a continuation inpart of my copending application, Serial No. 169,195, filed lanuary 29, 1962, now Patent No. 3,092,308.

Many coin operated mechanisms, such as vending machines, phonographs, amusement devices and the like are placed in retail establishments and other places frequented by the public on a percentage basis. The owner of the establishment receives a portion of the coins deposited in the mechanism and the operator receives the remainder. The percentage is predetermined and the amount depends on the merchandise sold or the service rendered. In order that the proprietor or operator may collect his share of coins at any time without the other being present, it has been proposed that the coins may be automatically divided and deposited in separate locked receptacles. The present invention relates to improvements in such means for automatically dividing coins.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic coin divider and collector which is relatively quiet in its operation.

Another object is to provide a coin divider and collector which is highly accurate, yet has only limited mechanical movement in its operation.

A further object is to provide coin divider and which is durable and one which will require very little maintenance.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a broken elevational view of a coin col lector and divider in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevational View of a cam wheel and microswitch first shown in FIGURE 1 at the left center portion thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the coin chute and showing the cam operated coin defiector coacting therewith, the deflecting position of the latter being shown in solid lines and the non-deflecting position in dotted lines.

FlGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3.

FIGURE 5 is a broken elevational view, similar to FIGURE 1, of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of a stepping relay comprising a part of the modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing an electro-magnet instead of cam means for deflecting the coins in the chute.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic wiring diagram of the modilied form of the invention.

Both forms of the invention herein shown and described are installed in the housings or" coin operated machines, not shown, and beneath the coin separating mechanisms thereof. Coin separating mechanisms as herein referred to are devices which channel coins of different denominations into the coin dividers. The chute It) of the invention is fiat and hollow and generally in form of an inverted Y, one leg 11 of which is vertical and in alignment with the vertical upper or coin receiving portion 12, whereas the other leg is angularly formed, as at 13, and downwardly, as at 14, where it empties into a locked receptacle 15 (-lock and key not shown). Similarly, the vertical leg 11 empties into a separate locked Bdhhfi g Patented Nov. 5, 1963 L receptacle :16. The upper vertical portion 12 is divided into separate slots 17 and 18 for receiving coins of different denominations by means of a parallel partition 19, the lower end of which is located above the fork of the Y. For example, nickels are received in one slot 17 and dimes in the other slot 1%.

A weighted gate 2t?- is pivotally mounted on one side of the vertical upper portion iii of the chute it by means of brackets 21 and a laterally projecting coin stop 22 of the gate extends through an opening, not shown, into and substantially across the nickel receiving slot 17. The weight 23 of the gate 20, which is shouldered, normally rests against the outer surface of the chute upper portion 12, holding the coin stop 22; in a horizontal position.

The Weight 23 is heavy enough to balance one nickel on the coin stop 22', but a second nickel will overbalance it, allowing both coins to drop down the slot. Thus the nickels are always fed in pairs into the coin dividing area to that they can be counted as the equivalent of a dime sale.

A microswitch 25 is mounted on the vertical leg 11 of the coin chute by means of a bracket 24, and which microswitch includes an inwardly bent actuating leg 26 extending into the chute through an arcuate slot 27. Similarly, on the other leg 14, there is mounted, by means of a bracket 23, an opposite microswitch 2 9 with its actuating leg as extending into the chute through an arcuate slot I 3E. The microswit-ches 25 and 29 are arranged so that the passage of any coin through the chute causes an electrical impulse through the switch by the deflection of the actuating leg 2-5 or 30. However, the inertia of the switch is such that two nickels falling off the coin stop 22 will cause but a single impulse.

An electric motor 32 is mounted, by means of brackets 33 and 3-4, on the coin chute Ell and is connected through a reduction gear 35 to a shaft 36 extending across the faces of the legs :11 and i4 and running in bearings 37 and A damper 3% operating on a drum 4%) mounted on the motor shaft it prevents the motor from coasting or over running in the operating cycle hereinafter described. A coin deflector 4-2 consisting of a leaf spring 43 with an angularly disposed head 44- is riveted to the side of the chute 11 with the head 44 opposite a diagonal slot 4 5 into which it is caused to penetrate by the pressure of an elliptical cam 46 mounted on the rotating shaft 36. At the far end of the shaft .35 there is a cam wheel 47 with five rises on its circumference. Subtending the cam wheel 47 in a coacting position more clearly shown in FIG. 2. there is a microswitch mounted on the chute 14 by means of a bracket 5%. As the shaft 36 rotates, the microswitch 49' is closed live times for each revolution as the rises contact the actuating leg 51, while the deflector 42 is pushed into the coin chute 12 once for each revolution.

A holding relay 5'2, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4, is placed conveniently where it can be Wired to the motor 32 and the microswitch 49'.

The operating cycle of the coin divider is as follows: Assuming the coin deflector to be open, a dime or a pair of nickels drops down the chute l2 and into the chute 11 where it strikes the actuating leg 26 of the microswitch 25, and the coin or coins continue into the receptacle 16. This action closes the switch 25 momentarily which activates the coil of the relay 52 closing the relay switch 54. This carries current through the motor 32, starting same, and simultaneously energizes the holding coil of the relay 52, causing the switch 54 to remain closed after the microswitch 25 has opened. The motor 32 runs until the next rise 48 on the cam 47 opens the microswitch 49 stopping the motor. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the rises 48 are in the form of pins so that the dampened momentum of the motor 32 will carry the rise adjacent the actuating leg 51 beyond the end of the latter. At one point in the revolution of the shaft 36 the elliptical cam 46 will have pressed the deflector 42 into the chute 12 where it remains in that position. Consequently, the next dime or pair' of nickels that comes down the coin chute 12 is deflected into the chute 14 through the angular portion 13 and into the receptacle 15. In so doing, it strikes the actuating leg 38 of microswitch 29 causing an exact duplication of the cycle just described. T he resulting one-fifth turn of the shaft 36 relieves the pressure of the cam 46 on the deflector 42 which returns to its open position. Thus, one dime or one pair of nickels, out of every five dimes 01" pairs of nickels or combination thereof, is deflected into the receptacle 15.

In the second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive, the coin chute assembly d9 has identical parts and performs identical function including the coin gate 29, the microswitches 25 and 29 and the coin receptacles and 16. Replacing the deflector 42 there is a blocking coil 5:; in which an electromagnet 57 attracts a spring loaded armature 58 to which there is attached a deflector 59, the latter includes an inner or head portion which extends through the diagonal slot 45 in the chute 12 and, when activated, directs the coin into the angular chute 13, but when deactivated allows it to pass into the vertical chute llll.

Replacing the motor driven cam assembly, there is a stepping relay oil which consists of an electrom'agnet 61 and a spring loaded armature 62 which, when it receives an electrical impulse, drives a pawl 63 against a ratchet Wheel 64 causing it to turn of a revolution. On the same shaft 65 "with the ratchet Wheel 64- is a cam 66 with four rises which bears against a switch 67, normally open, and closes it four times for each revolution of the ratchet Wheel'64. Each electrical impulse from one of the microswitches or 29 causes the stepping relay 64) to move the ratchet wheel 64 one notch. The switch 6'7 is connected to the blocking coil 56 so that once out of each five impulses the coin chute 11 is blocked, forcing one dime or a pair of nickels to fall into the receptacle 15 at the lower end of leg 14.

It is understood that the cams 46 and 47 and the ratchet wheel 64 and cam 65 can be proportioned to change the coin divider to any percentage desired. The invention is not limited to the constructions herein shown and described, but may be made in various Ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V

1. In an automatic coin collector, a generally vertical coin receiving chute divided therebeneath into at least two separate coin passageways, a coin receiving receptacle beneath and communicating with each said passageway, momentary switch means within each said passageway positioned to be actuated by coins passing therethrough, a laterally movable deflector mounted to block one of said passageways at the upper end thereof and divert coins to another said passageway, a rotatable shaft, meanscarried by said shaft actuating said deflector in the direction referred to, electrical means rotating said shaft, leads connecting a source of electrical energy with said means rotating said shaft, said momentary means being connected in parallel relative to each other in one of said leads.

2. In an automatic coin collector as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein said laterally movable deflector is spring mounted to normally move in direction to allow passage of coins, and a cam mounted on said shaft and positioned to contact and move said deflector in a direction to deflect coins in said passageway.

3. in an automatic coin collector as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein said laterally movable deflector is spring mounted to normally move in a direction to allow free passage of coins, an armature on said deflector, an electromagnet opposite said armature, a cam switch operated by said shaft, and means electrically connecting said cam switch with said electromagnet.

4. In an automatic coin collector, a generally vertical coin receiving chute, at least two coin passageways beneath and communicatin with said chute, a laterally movable deflector positioned to direct coins from said chute to 7 either of said passageways, an electromagnet and armature operated thereby, means connecting said armature with said deflector and arranged to actuate said deflector in the direction referred to, a stepping relay, leads from an electrical source connected with said electromagnet, a switch of said stepping relay being connected with one of said leads, and means actuating said stepping relay a number of steps corresponding with the number of coins received in said chute.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,795,284 Allen Mar. 10, 1931 1,800,154 Pryor Apr. 7, 1931 2,075,989 Jonneret et a1 Apr. 6, 1937 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC COIN COLLECTOR, A GENERALLY VERTICAL COIN RECEIVING CHUTE DIVIDED THEREBENEATH INTO AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE COIN PASSAGEWAYS, A COIN RECEIVING RECEPTACLE BENEATH AND COMMUNICATING WITH EACH SAID PASSAGEWAY, MOMENTARY SWITCH MEANS WITHIN EACH SAID PASSAGEWAY POSITIONED TO BE ACTUATED BY COINS PASSING THERETHROUGH, A LATERALLY MOVABLE DEFLECTOR MOUNTED TO BLOCK ONE OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND DIVERT COINS TO ANOTHER SAID PASSAGEWAY, A ROTATABLE SHAFT, MEANS CAR- 